Dowry Dispute
A recent decision from the Ontario Court of Appeal (Abdollahpour v. Banifatemi, 2015 ONCA 834) dealt with the issue of dowry in the context of property division in divorce proceedings. […]
Estate Litigation
Agricultural Assets – The Farm Divorce
Alberta is a province with deep agricultural roots. Though most of us are well aware of this, many of us do not truly understand the culture or day to day operations of our agriculture community and way […]
Tax Changes to Testamentary Trusts
Testamentary Trusts are a valuable tool used in estate planning – they allow individuals to financially protect their beneficiary (such as a spouse or a child), they […]
Dividing Property
Someone once described marriage as “what is hers is hers and what is yours is half hers.”
Perhaps an accurate description of marriage, however, not so accurate […]
And None For You: Voiding a Will for Public Policy
The freedom upon death to dispose of your property and other assets as you choose is an important right that has long been […]
Foreign Property Issues In Divorce
Quite often parties that are in the midst of finalizing a divorce will have foreign assets. The question of what should be done with those assets always arises […]
The Dollars-and-Cents Of Financial Disclosure
When dealing with many family law matters, up-to-date and complete financial information from and for both parties is essential. Whether the parties are in dispute over the matter […]
Valuation Of Pensions: Trending Towards Date Of Separation?
The Matrimonial Property Act provides direction to the valuation and distribution of matrimonial property in sections 7 and 8. The Alberta Court of Appeal in […]
The New Estate Administration Act
On March 20th, 2014, the Estate Administration Act (the EAA) was passed by the Alberta Legislature. The EAA will replace the Administration of Estates Act, the Devolution of […]
Estate Planning For The 21st Century
How is estate planning different in today’s culture? The biggest difference is the divorce rate in Canada. Although 38 percent of marriages in Canada end in divorce […]